Gave up on "Tiger Leaping Gorge" and chose the "Huxiang Highway" instead

After November 28th, it’s all sunny ☀, so we quickly set off from Lugu Lake to Shangri-La, hoping to see the "Golden Sunlight on Meili Snow Mountain." We stayed overnight in Lijiang for a transfer and set off for Shangri-La at 8 a.m. the next day. Passing by "Tiger Leaping Gorge," we found the Jinsha River’s water level was very low, so we immediately decided to take the "Huxiang Highway" instead, refunded the ticket, and chose to enjoy the scenery along the road. Just set your navigation to "Baishuitai" to drive this most beautiful national highway section. After passing the "Tiger Leaping Gorge Visitor Center" (photo 3), keep driving along the Jinsha River and you’ll see the Shuanghong Bridge, which connects Sichuan and Yunnan (photos 1, 4). The "Shuanghong Viewing Platform" has a sign with a map (photo 2); just follow the map for navigation. Every viewing platform offers stunning scenery: the Jinsha River flowing through the deep canyon, the basin landforms below the high-altitude road, and the nearby Haba Snow Mountain. Passing Baishuitai (photos 12, 13) scenic area, the road climbs to the highest point of Huxiang Highway at 3,700 meters (photo 14). The winding mountain road continues upward, and we arrived in Shangri-La at 6 p.m. On the way, we only grabbed a quick bite of bread and coffee at the "Jiuxian Peak Viewing Platform." This whole route is full of viewing platforms. The most decent place to eat in between is the café at Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge. Because we wanted to reach Shangri-La before dark, we spent most of our time enjoying the views at the platforms and driving. We also stopped for two hours at Baishuitai. Honestly, after seeing this spot, it feels like you could skip it. The most pristine water terraces are at the highest point, requiring a lot of stairs to climb, and it’s very weather-dependent—only good on sunny days. In short, the road going up is in great condition. Shangri-La is at an altitude of 3,300 meters, and you’ll gradually feel the effects of the high altitude. Try to avoid strenuous activity and loud talking, drink plenty of hot water, eat sweets and carbs when hungry, and never starve yourself to avoid altitude sickness. Be sure to bring enough hot water and food on this trip.